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Google's Inbox is theoretically perfect for some workers given its task-focused approach to email, but it hasn't had true workplace support -- if your company leans on Google Apps, you're out of luck. Things are going to loosen up shortly, though. Google is now accepting requests to join an early adopter program that lets Apps-based companies try Inbox. You sadly can't sign up just for your own email address (your administrator has to do it), but the effort will expand over the months ahead. Don't be surprised if you soon have another way to keep tabs on your corporate chats.

You may have to give up a few things from Gmail to use Google's task-oriented Inbox email app, but smartwatch support isn't one them. The company has updated the app (on Android) to bring Android Wear support, letting you check mail, send replies and mark completed items from the comfort of your wrist. There are some meaningful upgrades whether or not you have advanced wristwear, including suggestions for reminders and a better tablet interface. Swing by Google Play if any of these refinements are the excuse you needed to give Inbox a spin.

The new version of Gmail for Android is slated to make its way to Google Play in the near future, but if you cannot wait to use it, you can download the APK right now and load it up. You'll notice some major changes the moment you launch it, since it'll ask what kind of email addresses you'd like to add: version 5 works not only with Gmail addresses, but also with Outlook, Yahoo and any IMAP- or Exchange-based email accounts. To choose the inbox you want to check, simply tap one of your accounts on the left-hand menu. Also, it comes with a Material Design interface makeover (there's a lot more red now) and a thread email system similar to what you get through Inbox. We can't say which Android flavors it's compatible with exactly, but we've installed it on an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, so it'll likely work with all newer platforms. To find out for yourself, or to take a break from Google's busy Inbox app, head over to Android Police to download the file.

Update (11/3): Google has officially announced the update, confirming it's rolling out now with support for Android 4.0+ devices. Want to take a look before making the switch? There's a video preview embedded after the break.

The jury's still out on Google's new mobile approach to email, but that hasn't stopped people from going a little batty over getting invited to use it (see also: Gmail, Google Wave). In case you were feeling a little weird about begging Google for an Inbox invite, though, you can now just beg your Inbox-using friends for one. Google has just started gracing users with three invites to spread among their needy peers -- if they happen to see a golden ticket (we really need a new visual metaphor to that effect) in their Speed Dial menu, they can start spreading the love. Alas, Google isn't letting the floodgates fully open just yet: if you got your invite from someone who didn't get theirs straight from Mountain View, chances are you don't have any invites of your own to share. Now we're just waiting to see if a secondary market of Inbox invites springs up -- what's the Bitcoin-to-Inbox invite ratio these days?

A leaked video spotted by Android Police appears to show sweeping changes for Gmail 5.0 on Android, including integration with Yahoo, Microsoft and other email services. We say "appears," because the strangely formatted video came from an anonymous user on a little-known upload site. Still, it looks like a genuine preview of the app, and at least one of the users in the video is an actual Google marketing employee. That out of the way, what does it show? The juiciest new feature is third-party email integration, with support for Yahoo, Hotmail and others just a swipe away. Gmail has always supported POP3 accounts, but the new feature would let many users dump their other email apps. Otherwise, we see a wholesale design change to Android 5's Material look, with new icons, colors and more. Check the video below or the source, but in this case we'd advise a pinch of skepticism -- sometimes these things don't pan out.

Update: The Material Design leaks just won't stop -- Droid-Life has images of the revamped Google Play Music app, culled straight from a Nexus 4 ROM; though we're not 100 percent sure that this is the real deal. With the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 scheduled to touch down in early November, it won't be long until we get a much fuller sense of Google's new design chops.

You might not have to set reminders to pay your bills on time in the future. After a bit of testing with a limited audience, Google has updated its mobile search app to show both upcoming and past bills it finds in your Gmail. So long as a notice mentions both the due date and the amount you owe, it'll show above regular web results. If you've ever fretted over racking up late fees, you'll probably want to start using this right away.

Just because you want to save an email attachment on your phone doesn't mean you always want a local copy. What if you're running out of space? That won't be an issue if you're using the latest version of Gmail for Android; the newly updated app lets you save files to Google Drive, making it easy to fetch them later on most any Drive-friendly device. The upgrade also gets you to the navigation menu through a simple swipe gesture, and there's both improved right-to-left language support (think Arabic or Hebrew) as well as explanations for why messages land in the spam folder. It may take a few days for the new app to hit your phone or tablet, but it should be worth your patience if you prefer to fetch important documents from the cloud.

As useful as the mobile Gmail client can be, it hasn't always stacked up well against third-party apps with special tricks up their sleeves. If features that Geek.com spotted in a test version of Gmail for Android make the cut, though, you may have more reasons to stick with Google's official app. The experimental software lets you snooze messages until you're ready to deal with them -- if you'd rather not look at a bill until the day it's due, you can. Alternately, you can pin email to make sure an important conversation stays on top. Finance, Purchases and Travel tabs have also slipped into the interface alongside more familiar sections. There's no guarantee that any of the new features will survive the testing process, but at least some of them should be useful enough to reach a publicly available version of Gmail.

Need a way to easily access that select group of contacts you converse with frequently without manually creating groups? Well, the same star action that's used in Gmail to flag important correspondence now appears in Google Contacts. Those folks you affix the gold mark to will be added to the "Starred" group for easy access. Android users' selections will also sync with Android Contacts to stay organized across desktop and mobile. Of course, you can also use Google+ circles as another organizational alternative.

Many workers are about to leave on holiday trips, and Google is more than willing to help them avoid the office with an updated Gmail app for Android. The new release includes a vacation responder that will let fellow employees know that you're off the clock. If you're running Android 4.4 KitKat, you can also print email to avoid checking your phone during family gatherings. And if you simply must deal with that company report right away, you'll be glad to know that Gmail now supports file attachments of all types. The new app is gradually rolling out as of this writing, so don't be disappointed if you have to wait a little while for an upgrade.

Google's Gmail app for Android has remained an ad-free sanctuary, but code uncovered by Android Police in an APK teardown of the application's latest version hints that circumstances might change. Buried within the the program is a new library called "ads," along with messages, functions and classes mentioning advertisements. What's more, a "ShowAdPreferenceManager()" function routes users to the ad settings page for their very own Google account. Its not clear if sponsored bits will make it into the promotions folder just like the web version of Mountain View's inbox, but the clues suggest you should brace yourself to see some marketing relatively soon.

Google's made quite the habit out of improving its Gmail offering, and for those relying on the Android app in order to access their email, you'll find a pleasant new update available starting today. The refreshed build ushers in a cleaner conversation view, as well a number of additional design tweaks "such as checkmarks for multiple message selection so you can easily see what messages you are about to move, archive or delete." Oh, and in case you occasionally deal with bouts of disconnectedness, the app now notifies you right from the inbox if account sync is nonfunctional for any reason. Enjoy!

Boomerang's latest update adds tweaked functionality, moving it from one-trick unicorn territory to a possible Gmail app-replacement. Developer Baydin's improvements include Google Cloud Messaging-based push notifications, the ability to "send from" and multi-message selection for bulk mailbox organizing. If you're a fan of the email giant's new tabbed inbox, you're out of luck for now -- everything here is still lumped into one list. If you ask politely enough though, we're sure the dev will consider supporting it; version 0.8's shiny features were community suggested, after all.

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Confused by where that delete button went when you updated to the latest version of Android's Gmail app? You weren't the only one. The delete button has now reappeared alongside the archive option for quick access, while the update also improves settings for showing both buttons, accessed through the menu icon on the far right corner. Touching sender images will now let you choose multiple emails in a thread and Google's bundled in a handful of bug fixes too, just weeks since the last refresh.

The previously web-only Boomerang app for Gmail is now in open beta on Android. Just another mail app, right? Not quite -- Boomerang's hook is that it can bring unanswered messages back to your inbox. More than a clever reminder system, the app uses gesture controls (swipe right to archive, left for snooze and other options) and can schedule outgoing emails, too. According to TechCrunch, developer Baydin is also working on support for non-Gmail services and a tablet-optimized app. Jump to the Google Play link below to get your hands dirty for free.

Hours after Google released the latest update to its Gmail app for iOS, the folks in Mountain View have pushed the new software to the Android faithful everywhere. While some were able to snag a look earlier this week, the retooled mailbox is now available for all. This version touts new inbox features, slide-out navigation, the ability to reply / archive / delete from notifications, improved search and labels API for third-party devs. Also of note: Google hasn't nixed the Delete button, it just hid it by default. You can re-enable the feature in the "Archive & delete actions" tab of the General Settings menu by ticking "Show archive & delete." If you haven't yet recieved the signal atop your handset or slate, head over to the source link below to beam the update to your device(s).

Gmail's desktop inbox just went through some pretty significant UI changes, and we've just been waiting for Google to update its mobile apps with many of the same elements. The Android app, which Android Police reports is beginning its rollout today, reflects the new multiple-tabbed interface we've had the opportunity to play with for the last week -- it offers the same five tabs that are found on the desktop version, in addition to a new slide-out navigation interface. We're still waiting to get official word from Google about the update, but we'll let you know as soon as we have it. In the meantime, if you feel daring enough to try the new APK, head below to the source link to find a selection of available mirrors.

Update: it looks like the update is starting to appear in the Play Store. Head here to see if it's available for your device. We've had the chance to download it, and can confirm that it offers swipe to refresh in addition to the features mentioned earlier.

During an I/O session called "Structure in Android App Design," Google leaked a new design for Gmail ahead of any official announcement. The slide shows a revamped navigation drawer and a conspicuous lack of the action bar on the bottom. Functions currently located at the bottom of the screen (like compose and search) have moved up, streamlining the inbox's vertical structure. Meanwhile, the new navigation drawer makes it easier to access features like the priority inbox and individual labels without having to open separate screens, as is the case on the current Gmail app. There are a few cosmetic changes as well, like the larger stars in the inbox. It's hard to tell from the image, but one might assume that the navigation bar scrolls down to reveal important functions like trash, spam, and drafts. It doesn't appear that the inclusion of the screenshot was given much thought -- indeed, presenter Jens Nagel left in his personal Gmail address, now blurred out. Stay tuned -- we'll update you as official word on a redesign comes in.

The rumors were apparently true: Google's unified chat platform (widely nicknamed Babel) is launching as the new Hangouts, with new mobile apps to match. The messaging service puts Android, Chrome, Gmail and iOS all on the same page for the first time, focusing the interface on conversations that carry over from device to device. Across the board, you'll find consistent notifications, as well as emoji and shared photo pools that weren't in Google Talk. Contacts are still there, but they're pushed to the side in the mobile view. Live group video is new, too, while text chats have watermarks to clarify who's reading and typing. Everyone gets access to the updated Hangouts today. The Android and iOS apps are available as we write this; Gmail users can hit a "try it now" button, while Chrome users can install an extension. One word of warning: the Android app currently won't run on some tablets, including the Nexus 7.

Got a relatively recent version of Android on your smartphone? Good, because today, Google's giving Jelly Bean users another reason to be happy. In the company's latest update to Gmail, users will now find the ability to archive, delete and reply to incoming mail directly from the notifications drawer -- a small improvement, but we'll gladly take it. What's more, users of Ice Cream Sandwich and above will benefit from faster searches (online and off), along with a few performance improvements and bug fixes, too. So, time to tap that update button, eh?

Google had a very warm reception to the improved search and overall sleeker UI in Gmail 2.0 for iOS -- warm enough, in fact, that it's spreading the redesign work to its web apps. Both the mobile web app and Gmail Offline now share the same basic look as the iOS port as well as its search and Google Calendar integration. There's no sign of the interface reaching Android's native client, but those who eschew native apps on Android, BlackBerry, Chrome and iOS can get a taste of what they've been missing in the past few months.

That leaked Gmail APK we peeked at a month or so ago turned out to be right on the money. Google has just released version 4.2.1 of the Gmail app for Android, which does indeed add pinch-to-zoom on individual messages and swipe (left or right) to delete or archive. There are a couple of features we didn't see in the initial leak though, which are the ability to "auto-fit" a message to your phone's screen and a new thumbnail view of attached images -- you can then tap a thumbnail for a swipeable gallery. If still pictures aren't your bag, it's finally possible to attach phone-captured videos to an email as well. This version of Gmail is only available for phones with Android 4.0 or higher however, so older devices might be out of luck. If your device qualifies, you can download the new version of Gmail right now from the Google Play store.

If you've been desperate for new Gmail on your Android, a leaked APK obtained by Android Police -- that may or may not have come from one of those LG E960 Mako (alleged) Nexus phones that it seems everyone has -- is sporting some fresh tweaks. As seen in this demo video, the update adds pinch-to-zoom on individual messages, as well as swipe to delete or archive. The app itself is labeled as version 4.2, and while the APK isn't widely available, the site reports that if it is released you'll need to be rooted and running Android 4.0 or higher to get an early taste of the future.

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androidandroid 4.2Android4.2apkappe960gesturegmailgmail 4.2Gmail4.2googleleaklgmakominipostmobilepostcrossmobilepostmininexuspinch to zoomPinchToZoomswipeFri, 12 Oct 2012 01:50:00 -040021|20348316http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/gmail-app-update-brings-ics-honeycomb/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/gmail-app-update-brings-ics-honeycomb/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/04/gmail-app-update-brings-ics-honeycomb/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsFiddling with updates this evening? If so, you may notice your Gmail app begging for a refresh, as Google has revised its famed email program to bring the Ice Cream Sandwich experience to Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) users. Specifically, it'll allow you to swipe to move between newer and older conversations, tap to access Recent labels, set custom notifications for individual labels and sync the last 30 days of messages so you can read and search messages faster both online and offline. As for Android 2.2 and 2.3 users, they'll see a new labels API for third-party app developers as well as nondescript "performance improvements." If you needed any help, the download link is waiting there in the source.